Tepin Tunes Up for Breeders' Cup Mile

While Tepin didn't blaze in her final workout before facing males in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) Oct. 31 at Keeneland, trainer Mark Casse was pleased with the 4-year-old filly's half-mile breeze Oct. 23 at Churchill Downs.

Robert Masterson's Tepin, who doesn't figure to need much off her seven-length romp in the First Lady Stakes (gr. I) Oct. 3 on the Keeneland turf, breezed four furlongs in :49 4/5 under the lights at about 6:05 a.m. on the Churchill main track. The two-time grade I winner completed the first quarter-mile in :25 1/5 and galloped out in 1:02 2/5.

Regular rider Julien Leparoux was aboard Friday.

"She's good to go," Leparoux said of the bay filly who has finished first or second in six straight races this year, including five grade I or grade II stakes. "She's just good and she's being herself in the mornings. She's ready. We just want to keep her happy."

Casse said Friday's move was pretty typical for Tepin, who also won this year's Longines Just a Game Stakes (gr. IT) at Belmont Park.

"She doesn't need much, and she actually did work faster than last time," Casse said, comparing Friday's move to Tepin's half-mile in :50 on Oct. 16 at Churchill. "She's one of those horses that if you want to see how good she's going, you have to put her out there with other horses."

Based on that criteria, Tepin is doing very well. Her First Lady victory may be the most impressive of the Keeneland fall meet as she completed one mile in 1:37.04 on the soft turf. She'll return to that same course and distance for the Mile, where she will face males. 

Rather than try the 1 3/16-mile Filly and Mare Turf (gr. IT), Casse chose to keep Tepin at her ideal distance in the Breeders' Cup. Tepin has started four times at one mile on the turf and has three straight wins and a second in those efforts, all grade I and grade II stakes.

"Our feeling is that at a mile she can run with anybody," Casse said. "She can stretch out too, but we feel like beyond a mile some others catch up to her a bit. We feel like at a mile she's as good as any horse in North America. We'll have to see how she does against the Europeans."

Casse loves that Tepin enters the Mile off her successful run in the First Lady.

"A lot of horses won't run on the Keeneland turf, for whatever reason," Casse said. "It's good to know she likes the course."

Tepin was one of four Breeders' Cup hopefuls Casse sent out for four-furlong breezes Friday morning on the Churchill main track. Working with the same group as Tepin, Juvenile hopeful Conquest Big E completed the distance in :48.2/5. Working with a second group that went out at 6:30, Siding Spring blazed four furlongs in :47 3/5 and Airoforce, who has a spot in the Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) matched Conquest Big E's :48 2/5.

The quick move by Siding Spring produced a bit of news as Casse said he'll advise owner Gabe Grossberg to run the cross-entered Warrior's Reward   colt in the Juvenile (gr. I) rather than the Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) if he can make the field. Siding Spring has only started on grass at this point after winning his maiden debut at Kentucky Downs then running third in the Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the Keeneland grass.

Casse said they always intended to race Siding Spring on dirt but the timing and attractive purse at Kentucky Downs saw them debut the horse there.

Conquest Stables Conquest Big E displayed athleticism in his move Friday as the gray or roan son of Tapit   was easy to track under the Churchill lights. Currently the first horse just outside the Juvenile field, Casse is hopeful the recent Keeneland maiden winner cracks the field of 14.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, that was an 11," Casse said of the breeze. "It's a wonderful pedigree, and he's a beautiful horse and you saw that stride today."

Leparoux also was aboard John Oxley's Airoforce, who won his debut at Kentucky Downs and scored a clear victory in the Bourbon. Airoforce worked in tandem with unraced Souper Awesome, starting behind that rival.

"He's a nice colt; he's only run twice but he's learning a lot," Leparoux said of the son of Colonel John  .

Airoforce earned a spot in the Juvenile Turf with his 2 1/2-length score in the Bourbon, a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" race. Casse said Airoforce is as good as any 2-year-old turf runner in North America and they'll see how he stacks up against the European shippers.